This is what I believe the LORD is saying to me for this year. He wants this house (Body Of Christ) in order. This is a dominant word that arises out of my sprit man. It is not just heard & voiced through me alone. It is also being confirmed by others, who have spiritual ears tuned in on Heaven’s frequency. There are numerous scripture verses about our earthly bodies being symbolic of the house or temple where God dwells by His Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 5:1; “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens”.  In 1 Peter 2:5;  “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ”. It was God’s original intent to create in us a desire to be spiritual people. Our bodies where formed & fashioned by Him in such a way that He says that we are fearfully & wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). He breathed life (spirit) in us & housed our spirit in a earthly body. I remember before I was born again, I had a deep desire to know & experience God. In Proverbs 20:27 the Word of God says, “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart. I was designed in such away that God put a “homing” (heading homeward) instrument in me to lead me to Him. What an awesome God!! I wondered why I had no direction & purpose in my life. It was because my spirit man was in anguish & longing for his Creator & it’s Daddy (Gal. 4:6). I know now that this house where my spirit man dwells, communes & has fellowship, belongs to God. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1Cor. 6: 19 & 20). As I have become devoted to know God intimately through prayer & meditating on His Word, He has challenged me to be a mature man of God. I can no longer get by with childish things (“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things” 1Cor. 13:11). Why? Because as a son of God & a heir of the Kingdom I must be responsible & mature. Other wise He cannot trust me with true treasures from heaven, because I’m a poor steward of Kingdom matters (Matt. 25: 14-30).

With this in mind, I know God has commanded us to be faithful to Him & purify ourselves. We cannot continue to act irresponsible with the gift of salvation. God has laid such a burden on Deb & I to pray for the “Body Of Christ”. We should as His Church be sensitive to the Holy Spirit & have a reverential fear of the LORD. We are seeing day in & day out accusations against the house of God by the world. You would think by now we would be a powerful body moving in power & the Holy Spirits anointing to love people & have a hatred for sin. We should never compromise our anointing for the lifeless activities of this secular society. I have been on the dark side of life & was a slave to the devil with no hope & without a purpose in life. In Ephesians 2:4 the Apostle Paul describes our Savior’s mercy, “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us”. I realize that it is God’s grace that sustains me & I hope that I would never fall into temptation & disappoint the LORD. I have learned daily to posture myself in humility before the LORD. I am convinced that when I do this it allows the Holy Spirit to flow like a river to lead, guide & direct. I know that without His presence I’m undone & prone to fail based on my history in decision making. I do feel that the LORD is revealing sin in the church. We are seeing foolishness being exposed by the LORD through the secular media. Some may think that they will not get caught in their deception. But God is sure to expose sin in His body if we refuse to repent. He says in 1 Peter 4:17 “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" The LORD often used the heathen nations in the old testament to humble Israel. But before sending them into captivity He sent His prophets to warn Israel to repent. God is serious with us concerning sin. He says in Revelation 3:19-22  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." I urge you & challenge you in this year of New Beginning to take inventory of your spiritual house. Is Jesus Christ the Carpenter of your house? He will build a sanctuary, so we may offer our bodies as a living sacrifice on the alter of God.
                                                                                    

Rocky Fondren